In December, the Celestial Theatre will be splendid, with a number of blockbuster programs on display!Mercury at great eastern elongation, Venus with the moon and asteroids occult Betelgeuse.
4. A number of celestial phenomena such as the Geminid meteor shower, the extreme Jupiter and the moon, will appear in the starry sky at the end of 2023, bringing the final performance of the year
This year Mercury "showed its face" for the last time
On December 4, Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation, which is Mercury's last greatest elongation of the year. Astronomical science experts said that if the weather is fine, after the sun sets that day, interested members of the public can use binoculars or small astronomical telescopes to find Mercury at low altitude in the southwest.
Due to its proximity to the Sun, Mercury releases large amounts of sodium ions under solar wind radiation, creating an effect similar to that of a comet's tail. This is the "tail" of Mercury photographed by Pu Shi, a Beijing starry sky photography enthusiast, on October 3, 2022 using a high-magnification astronomical telescope and filters at the Ming Tombs in Beijing. (Photo courtesy of me).
Yang Jing, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and a director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, said that Mercury is not easy to see because it is the closest planet to the Sun among the eight planets in the solar system. From Earth, Mercury is located near the Sun most of the time, rising and setting almost with the Sun, so it is often overwhelmed by the Sun's brilliance. It is only when the angular distance between Mercury and the Sun reaches its maximum, that is, the "great distance", because it is least affected by the sun's rays, and it is possible to see it at this time.
A close-up of Mercury taken by Liang Changhai, a starry sky photography enthusiast in Yunnan, in Huaihua, Hunan Province, March 30, 2023. (Photo courtesy of me).
Venus accompanies the Moon
On December 10, Venus, which appears as the "morning star", will be closely accompanied by the waning moon on the 28th day of the lunar calendar. Before dawn that day, interested members of the public can witness this super-high-value "star-moon fairy tale" facing the eastern sky.
Beijing starry sky photography enthusiast Xin Shenzhou photographed Venus with the moon in Miyun, Beijing, in the early morning of December 13, 2020. (Photo courtesy of me).
Asteroid occult Betelgeuse
On December 12, people in some parts of the planet may find that Betelgeuse, the famous bright orange star in the constellation Orion, has disappeared. Betelgeuse did not really disappear, but was briefly obscured. This rare astronomical phenomenon is when asteroid 319 Leona passed in front of Betelgeuse during its orbit, obscuring its rays.
Geminid meteor shower
As the most trusted meteor shower of the year, the Geminid meteor shower arrives on time in December, with a maximum zenith flow of more than 100 meteors per hour. This year, the meteor shower is expected to appear at 3 a.m. on December 15, and interested members of the public in China can observe it from the evening of the 14th to the early morning of the 15th. The 14th is the second day of the lunar calendar, there is no moonlight interference, and friends who like meteor showers must not miss it.
Huang Xiaoqin, a starry sky photography enthusiast in Beijing, photographed the Geminid meteor shower in Gongga, Sichuan, on December 14, 2021 (multiple photos superimposed). (Photo courtesy of me).
Jupiter with the Moon
On December 22, Jupiter and a full gibbous moon will stage a romantic "star-moon dialogue". Soon after dark, the bright Moon and bright Jupiter will be in close proximity to each other in the southeastern sky, competing for light, becoming a beautiful sight in the sky.
Beijing starry sky photography enthusiast Wang Junfeng photographed Jupiter with the moon in Fengtai, Beijing, November 25, 2023. (Photo courtesy of me).
Let's look forward to the wonderful celestial phenomena together.
* Xinhua News Agency Chengdu Published Editor|KirbyScan the code**
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